Muscle Tone Vs Muscle Mass 

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Muscle Tone Vs Muscle Mass
Which Is Optimal?

The specific wants and needs of the individual really come in to play here, each side has benefits and drawbacks, which we will seek to highlight to make the choice a little easier.

The usual goals range from fat burning and weight loss, to bulking up and gaining mass (heavily associated with young men and athletes). Some people have short term expectations that are un-fulfillable, whilst some can achieve the goals they set with relative ease.

So what is toning? The word tone simply describes the state of your muscles. When at rest, your muscles are in a constant state of partial contraction in order to be ready for action. The 'tone' of your muscles is involuntary, so you can't change it by lifting weights a certain way. However, most people think that toning means getting more definition and firmer muscles. And how do you get more definition? By doing more reps with lighter weight, of course! Over the years, people have taken the word 'tone' and redefined it to mean how lean we are--how defined our muscles appear. In fact, it's even a gender specific word sometimes--women go to the gym to 'tone up' while men go to the gym to lift weights. Know what? Those are the exact same things! So let's accept the latter definition!

The truth is, you're limited as to what you can really change about your muscles. In a nutshell, this is what your muscles can do:

1. Grow larger and/or stronger
2. Shrink smaller and/or get weaker

If your goal is to see your muscles, your goal isn't toning--it's losing body fat. And, whether you're a man or woman, wanting to bulk up or slim down, you'll do the same kinds of exercises and training methods. The difference lies in the weights, reps and sets you'll do, as well as how many calories you take in (more if you're building muscle, less if you're trying to lose fat).

Peel that Layer Of Fat

Basically, toning is showing the curve of your muscle, either large or small, short or long, Arnold Schwarzenegger type, Bruce Lee type, or dancer physique. First, you need to peel off the fat layer with cardio fat burning exercise, then use strength training to develop you muscle. And let's face it, your body frame and genetic make-up will determine the final result. Like myself, with training, I look like Bruce Lee but never obtain the Arnold Schwarzenegger look.

Genetics

The genes you have will determine many things, but they don't have to dictate with the authority that some may claim. By understanding our strengths and weaknesses in muscularity, we can optimize results and benefit much quicker.

If you are naturally prone to gaining muscle with ease then you may find fat burning more difficult, but if you find weight loss pretty easy to accomplish then putting on solid muscle may be hard for you to achieve.

Easy muscle gainers often find muscle toning exercises are better to help them gain a firm, tight body, while also burning fat, on the other hand skinny, smaller framed people may find larger, bulk lifting "type" exercises are better to help add solid, attractive muscle to their frame.

It almost seems ironic to suggest high repetition toning exercises for naturally muscular people and heavy mass lifting exercises for smaller framed individuals, but it may just help them reach their goals faster.

Muscle Tone - Benefits And Drawbacks

Toned muscle is sexy, tight and lean. It is probably the most attractive look for both females and males, however it can be difficult to achieve those sculpted muscles without serious attention to good, disciplined dietary habits.

People with good muscle tone enjoy increased flexibility, agility, speed, longevity and as mentioned the affections of the opposite sex.

Toned muscle however, rarely begets power and large degrees of strength that mass muscle can give you.

People with lean toned bodies have been shown to live longer in many studies and suffer less health complications than their larger counterparts.

Muscle Mass - Benefits And Drawbacks

Those who have larger solid mass, often are stronger and more powerful than their smaller contemporaries.

People with a higher percentage of muscle on their frame rest better than others. They also burn more calories per day due to the fat burning nature of muscle.

One of the major drawbacks of maintaining a higher proportion of muscle is the extreme effort required to build and maintain a solid frame, not to mention the larger quantities of food one must consume to "keep" the muscle (although many would consider the need to eat more food a major draw card).

Bulkier framed people find they appeal less to the opposite gender, though it is not such an issue for men.

Health

From the viewpoint of general health, muscle tone probably wins out over muscle mass for several reasons including;

• A toned physique is lighter and places less stress on internal organs.
• Those with toned bodies live longer.
• Those who eat less are generally healthier.
• Speed and agility are more useful in health than power and strength.
• Aerobic activity is more heart-healthy than anaerobic training.

This doesn't mean that you can't have a solid, muscular frame and still be extremely healthy. Lifestyle choices count for a lot in general health.

In the end, the body you want to have should be the body you seek to accomplish, but it is always a wise move to be informed.

You should always consult a physician before engaging in physical activity, so they can assess your capabilities and check for possible problems.

It's also important to note that the examples given here are based on equal body fat percentages of both toned and bulky individuals.

Remember, any exercise is usually better than none at all and good diet is the crux of a good physique.